


Avoidance At Its Finest

by kickcows



Category: Bleach
Genre: Feelings Realization, First Kiss, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-16 07:34:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18686992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kickcows/pseuds/kickcows
Summary: Ichigo has discovered that he has feelings for a certain crazy shopkeeper, so naturally he avoids him at all cost. Except when some Hollows decide to show up, and he's no longer able to stay away from him.





	Avoidance At Its Finest

**Author's Note:**

> Someone on tumblr sent me a prompt for these two. Please enjoy! ^_^ 
> 
> Prompt: “You did what?”

 

 

* * *

Ichigo has successfully avoided going to Urahara’s shoten the last few weeks, claiming that he’s been too busy with school to do any extra training. The nights have been pleasantly quiet - no immediate threats of Hollows, of any variety. His friends still visit the shop, and he has to wonder if the shopkeeper has noticed he’s purposefully avoiding going over there. But he’s too chicken to ask one of his friends about it, because then that means they might be tipped off as to why he’s been neglecting going over there.

Something happened about a month ago, something that Ichigo has chosen to run away from, instead of meeting it head on. His feelings for Urahara have changed, and he isn’t sure how to fix that. So naturally, he opted for the easiest course of action - avoidance. And now, he’s afraid of returning over there because he doesn’t want Urahara to question his absence.

The reiatsu in the area becomes stifling, Ichigo dropping the pen on his hand as he realizes that lull in Hollow activity has come to an end. Grabbing Kon, who protests at being handled so violently, he pops the blue pill into his mouth, and exits his body, Kon taking his place. “Do you have to be so rude?” Kon points his finger at him.  

“Shut up.” He opens his bedroom window, and turns his head in the direction of where the heavy reitsu is coming from. “Stay here. Do _not_  go to Urahara’s.”

“What?! Why not?!” Kon looks down at him, as he lands quietly on the ground. “You want me to stay here?!”

“You can go wherever. But don’t go to his shop!” He starts to run. “I mean it, Kon!”

“You’re an idiot!”

He closes his eyes, as he uses shunpo to get to the fight faster. _I know I am_. He doesn’t bother to say it out loud, because there’s no point to it. Just like there’s no point in him going back over to Urahara’s shop, because then that means he’d have to see the man that he dreams about at night, and not in an innocent way. Shaking off the thoughts, he makes a quick right, then a quick left, and then slides to a stop when he sees three different Hollows making their way down an alley.

A beam of red light shoots past his head. He’s about to shout at the person that had the audacity to do that to him when the familiar reiatsu of the person he’s been avoiding appears by his side. “So, Kurosaki-san, it takes a trio of Hollows to bring you out?”

Yanking Zangetsu off of his back, he blocks an attack by one of the Hollows. “What are you doing out here?” He yelled, trying to keep his focus on the fight in front of him. He knows that Urahara is capable of holding his own, but it’s a shock to his system to see him again after careful avoidance. “I don’t need help!”

“I didn’t say that you did.” The sound of Urahara using Benihime to extinguish one of the Hollows draws ire out of him. “But you and I both know it’s been very quiet as of late, so of course I decided to investigate when these two-”

Ichigo successfully disposes of the second. “You mean one.” He tosses over his shoulder, a gleeful smile on his face. “One Hollow, Urahara-san.”

He turns towards him, the brim of Urahara’s green and white striped hat shading his face from him. But he sees his eyes, his eyes are as fierce as his own, as they’re both amped up due to the fight. Urahara nods at him, which Ichigo nods in return, the two turning to face the last Hollow together. Through careful silent cues, he falls into step with Urahara, their zanpakuto slicing through the last Hollow together.

The reiatsu returns to normal in the area, Ichigo taking a few deep breaths as he returns Zangetsu to his back. “Thanks for the help, Urahara-san.” He turns away and begins to head back towards his house.

“That’s it?” Urahara calls out to him. “That’s all I get?”

“What else do you want me to say?” He stops walking, turning around to face him. He almost jumps back when he sees Urahara standing close to him. “What the hell, Urahara-san?”

“I gave you your space.” The bucket hat is tipped backwards, giving Ichigo a clear view of the shopkeeper’s stormy grey eyes. There’s anger in them, and something else that Ichigo can’t place. “You have forced my hand, Ichigo. You win.”

“What? What are you talking about? You’re crazy.” Too terrified to move, he stands still as he stares up at Urahara. “What hand?”

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

“No, I-”

“Yes, you have. Don’t lie, Ichigo.”

It’s the second time he’s called him by his first name, and it does something to him. “What do you want me to say? Fine! I’ve been avoiding you! And the shop! I didn’t think you’d notice.”

“Why would I not notice?” The anger that had been present in Urahara’s voice disappears. “Do you think so little of me? Of course I’m going to notice when you stop coming around. But I gave you space. I didn’t want to harp on  you.”

“Is that why you came out here tonight? Because you knew I’d be out here?” Ichigo asks, averting his gaze from Urahara’s.

A sharp laugh has him snapping his head back up. “No, I came out here tonight because I was afraid you weren’t going to be here. I wasn’t about to let these Hollows wreak havoc. Not when it’s been so quiet.”

“That’s ridiculous, Urahara. Why would I not be here?”

“I’m not certain. But since you stopped coming to the shop, I could only assume that you were giving up on being a shinigami.”

“What?!” His jaw drops in shock. “You thought I stopped being a shinigami?”

“Well, what else was I supposed to think?” The anger returns to Urahara’s voice. “Your friends come to my shop to train. You, however, do not.” Dark grey eyes return his stare. “So what was I supposed to think?”

“It’s not like that!” Ichigo finds himself becoming defensive, as he tries to figure out how to tell Urahara why he hasn’t been around without giving him the truth. “I would never neglect my duties!”

“Then why have you been avoiding me?”

He breaks off their eye contact, his head turning to the side. “I can’t….I can’t talk about it with you. But it’s never been about my duties as a shinigami, Urahara-san.”

“Fine, Kurosaki-san.” It hurts his chest when Urahara returns to calling him by his last name. “I’m sorry for showing up here, when I should have realized that you were going to be able to handle it.”

The guilt he feels in the morose tone that Urahara speaks to him makes him reach out. “Kisuke…”

His hat falls off of his head with how quick he turns his head to look at him. “What did you just say?”

“I said….” His fingers still held onto Urahara’s upper arm, too afraid to release his grip. “I said your name.”

He stares up at him, becoming lost in his eyes. “Tell me why you haven’t been coming to my shop, Ichigo.”

“I told you….I can’t.” He whispers.

“Why not?”

“Because, it’ll ruin everything.” Ichigo’s stomach begins to churn, the itch to run away becoming stronger by the second. “Please, don’t ask me again, Kisuke…”

A warm hand touches his face, returning his gaze to the shopkeeper’s eyes. “Tell me.” Urahara asks, his thumb resting against Ichigo’s cheekbone. “I won’t ask again.”

“I….” Cicadas chirp around them, the nocturnal chorus one both equally annoying as it is pleasant. All those weeks he’s wasted not seeing this man in front of him, the man who has taught him so much about himself, that he feels foolish for letting it become this bad. “KIsuke, I…”

Urahara’s hand slides down to his jaw, and before he realizes it, their lips come together. He gasps, then falls into the shopkeeper’s embrace, the sound of Urahara’s flip flops moving disrupting the cicadas for a split second. Ichigo’s lips part, as all the feelings he’s been keeping bottled up inside pour out through the act, his tongue coming into contact with Urahara’s for an explosive kiss. He moans into his mouth, abandoning any sense he has in order to take in this experience, as he lifts his arms to raise them up to be around Urahara’s body.

His feet drop back down, Ichigo unaware that he’d lifted himself up onto the balls of his feet to be closer to Urahara. He wipes at his mouth, breathing hard, trying to get his brain to work again. “I like you.”

“I know.” The smile on Urahara’s face makes his heart palpitate in his chest. “But that is a silly reason to avoid me, Ichigo. Please - come back to the shop tomorrow? I’ve missed you.”

Ichigo nods his head, and rests his head against Urahara’s sternum. “I will, Kisuke. I’m sorry - I just...I didn’t know how to explain to you how I felt. Plus, what if you didn’t like me?”

“There is no way that would ever be true, Ichigo.” Lips brush against the top of his head. “Now, it’s late. You should head back home.”

He looks up at him. “You like me?”

“I wouldn’t have kissed you if I didn’t.” Urahara winks, reaching down to pick his hat back up off the ground. “Go home. There’s time for more kisses, and talking, tomorrow.” The shopkeeper’s lips return to his, the two sharing one final kiss together. “Good night, Ichigo.”

“Good night, Kisuke.” He smiles, and begins to head back to his home.

Ichigo hops up onto the window sill, and sees Kon sitting on his bed, a cross look on his face. “What took you so long?”

“Ran into Urahara.” He shrugs, and knocks the base of Zangetsu against his body, popping the mod soul out. He returns into his body, and puts the pill back into the stuffed lion.

“What happened?” Kon jumps up onto his desk, as he sinks down onto his pillow. “Ichigo?”

“We kissed.”

“You did WHAT?!”

A soft yawn leaves his mouth, as he bats away the lion. “I’m going to sleep, Kon.”

“Wait, wait, wait. You can’t say that, and go to bed. Ichigo. ICHIGO.”

He yawns again, and rolls over onto his side. “We’ll go to the shop again tomorrow. G’night, Kon.”

“Bastard.” He doesn’t feel the soft kick of Kon’s foot against his back. “You’d better explain then!”

Sleep arrives fast for the substitute shinigami. Whether or not he’ll tell Kon about it tomorrow, he’ll decide then. As he drifts to sleep, he’s reminded of how nice it felt to have Urahara kiss him, and to have him reciprocate the feelings he has for him. Both thoughts send him off to dreamland with a smile on his face.  

 


End file.
